Now Kobisala  is closed for christmas holiday. All children in the nursery school and in 1:st and 2:d degree can relax for 2 weeks. Buba got 5.000 skr from me when I came here. I think it mostly went to pay the teachers. I met Buba yesterday. He had been out buying cement , because before  next year start in september, 2 new class rooms shall be ready.  And he was especially happy that the doner org. From Holland also had given him money to buy a small printer which he had  desired for so long.

They work in teachers team. And the studens work a lot in groups. Buba is organizing it all and everything has to be dokumented, discussed and reported. so of cours  ther is god use of a printer.

I met one of the mothers in the alfabetisation group yesterday(. I was on my way to the tailor to pi c up a christmas dress. The cloth I had bought in Woly, where the women had weaved it.)

She beged me to help them start the alfabetisation again both in english and Mandinka. Well I will have to try

Now I will prepare a chsistmas lunch for christmas eve  for som in Babous faily, some naigbourgs and some  friends.. Yusupha (my wachman has  gone to the market in the village to buy a lot of stuff. (for the first time it all is written on a long list which he now can read!  He has been training  reeding from milk packedges, a globe a map book and some  study circle materials.

Merry Christmasand a happy new year,  to you all!   Rosalie

Lena Hallberg took this picture when she visited  Kobisala nursery school last year, when the mothers  were learning  reading and writing in Mandinka. Now she has showed her pictures and talked about her Africa in the library in Mjölby, her home town in Sweden. The money she got for this , she has given to the nursery school. Thank you Lena!

Letter from Buba, the headmaster, march 2013

Dear friends,

I herein write to thank you for your wonderful and timely concern and cooperation towards the welfare and development of the school at large. With your cooperation and collaboration, we were able to achieve the followings.

 

-My dream of incorporating a primary school is now a success. We have registered a total number of twenty one pupils in primary one this academic year, after fulfilling the requirements from the ministry of Basic and secondary Education. Year in year out, we will climb the ladder to reach at primary six.

 

-I have also succeeded in getting one quranic teacher, one classroom teacher and three volunteers to serve the pupils to the best of our abilities..

 

-We as a school participated in the 48^th Independence for all primary Schools in West coast region,  hosted in Sanyang village on the 23^rd  day of February 2013.

 

-As usual we just attended the annual Independence for Nursery Schools in West coast region in Busara Village last Saturday 16^th of March 2013. This was a success, fun and jubilations for both staff and pupils because three of our pupils : Ebrima  Susso, Bubacarr Jatta and Mariama Gassama took part in the sporting activities and won themselves a certificate. Ebrima Susso got a gold medal, for the first time in the history of the school!

 

In any meaningful development , there must be constrains along the way. These are some of  the most important:

-Human resources is not enough for the management of the pupils in and out of the classrooms.

-Payment of staff salaries another burden. This made me loos three of my permanent staff to move to other schools.

-Security of the school is vital. The school is not fenced with cement blocks. This allows free movement of both animals and people into the school yard, at any time of the day. Flowers and other decorations cannot be done as expected.

-Movement of the pupil to and fro school, especially during the rainy season due to bumby roads with hols filled with stagnant water is really a problem.

 

 

Recommendations of the tax force of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education are as follows:

-Elevate the salaries of staff with payment  of income tax and social security services.

-Building of more classrooms to accommodate both nursery and the primary school.

-To reconstruct the toilets by separating  them i.e. boys, girls and staff.

Fencing of the school to ensure security for staff, pupils and the school at large.

 

I thank you alla million times in advance, and count on your fullest and timly cooperation, with success, good healt, happiness and prosperity in the near future. Buy !

Buba Bojang